The BUFORA
Investigator Training Course (ITC) is open to any member of the public,
18 years of age and over, who wishes to do investigative work in
ufology. Information follows on BUFORA NIC (National Investigations
Committee) policies with regard to training potential investigators.
This is a course on investigative procedures and not a course on ufology
per se. Candidates are expected to have some knowledge of the history
of ufology, of current trends and theories and to have done some reading
on the subject in general.

To investigate
for BUFORA, it is mandatory that you enrol on and pass the ITC. Below
are details about this course should you wish to investigate sighting
reports that come into BUFORA.

The course
consists of six modules and an examination. The modules, accompanied by
guidance notes, give a very good grounding in what can be seen and
misidentified in our skies. These include technological, astronomical
and atmospheric phenomena. In addition, information is given in the
course as to how photographic or video footage reports should be
followed up and whether further specialist photographic investigation is
warranted. The examination is based on a high strangeness case.

It is important
that you conduct as much investigation and research as possible with
each module as your comments, in addition to any definitive answers, are
significant in an assessment of your completed assignment.

Each module
should be completed and returned to the tutor for marking within four
weeks, whereupon you will be sent the next module together with your
completed module and any remarks made. In the event that four weeks will
not afford you enough time should you have other commitments, a request
must be made to your tutor for an extra two weeks to complete the
specific module. Nowadays, the course is mostly administered
electronically by email, but can be done equally by post if required.

After you have
passed the ITC, and as a Provisional Investigator, you will be forwarded
reports that may come in for your area. These will not include high
strangeness cases. In order to gain full accreditation as an
investigator, you must submit two case reports to the Investigations
Co-ordinator for assessment. If these are evaluated to the standard
required you would be upgraded to Accredited Investigator (AI) and
become a full voting member of the BUFORA NIC.

The fee is
£49.95 and if you decide to enrol on the course, please make out a
sterling cheque/postal order for the full amount, payable to BUFORA and
submit with a short covering letter including all your contact details
(name, address, telephone, email) to the following address: BUFORA ITC,
PO BOX 241, Business House, Herts SG6 9AJ. The course fee is
non-refundable after module one has been submitted to the tutor for
assessment. All proceeds go towards funding research and field
investigation.

The course is
challenging and will require a degree of commitment but we hope that you
will also find it enjoyable and rewarding. Like most endeavours in
life, you will get out of it exactly what you put in.

BUFORA also organises occasional NIC meetings and training days to which all qualified investigators and trainees are invited.

Below is a brief summary of the modules and their content:

MODULE 1 – SOURCES

How and where
people report UFO sightings; advertising yourself as an investigator;
dealing with official organisations (e.g. police, media etc.);
prioritising reports; initial contact with witnesses; training exercise –
sighting in Cumbria.